An abusive husband, branded a Jekyll and Hyde character, used his wife as a punching bag in front of their terrified children before trying to con the police into dropping the case, a court has heard.

Danny Barnett, 31, also subjected partner Samantha to cruel taunts, which destroyed her confidence and left her an emotional wreck, Guildford Crown Court was told on Monday (March 20).

When detectives investigated the incidents, Barnett concocted two emails purporting to be from her and even forged a birthday card from her to try to give the impression her stories of the abuse she had suffered were untrue.

Father-of-two Barnett, of Newsham Road in Woking, was jailed for 18 months when he appeared for sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and one of perverting the course of justice.

On one occasion, she said, she left her husband and when she returned, he made her apologise to him repeatedly as if he was doing her a favour by having her back home.

Samantha said she had been studying to go to Cambridge but all the time she felt “anxious and on edge.”

'Never felt pain like it'

The court heard how Barnett bent her thumb back on one occasion damaging the tendons in her hand. On another occasion, in front of one of their children, he punched her so hard in the ribs an ambulance had to be called.

“I never felt pain like that before,” she said.

Another time, the court was told, Barnett punched her to the floor and threatened to burn her hair off.